Not Exactly Rapunzle
by Shira
Summary: Remember how I told ya'll I had weird dreams? Yeah... This is one of them... Lina is Rapunzle locked in a tower, and guess who comes to save her? I fixed it! I accidentally left out a chapter ^_^;; Gomen!
1. Chapter 1

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**Not Exactly Rapunzle**

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**_Hiyas! Hey, you know how I have crazy dreams sometimes? This was one of them! I woke up in the middle of the night after this dream, and wrote the idea down... Tell me what ya think! ^_^_**

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**A Long Time Ago...**

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Once upon a time, an old farmer and his wife lived together. But they were sad. They were growing older every day, and they had no children. Finally, one day, the wife announced that she was pregnant, and was to have a child. 

The old man was ecstatic. To celebrate, he snuck into his neighbor's vineyard, and stole some fresh grapes to make wine. 

After the woman drank it, she knew that she must have more. It was the best wine she had ever tasted. She begged and begged her husband to get more grapes to make more. She said that she would die if she didn't get more. 

So the man did. He didn't dare upset his wife on this joyous day. He snuck back across to the vineyard, and had just grabbed a plump bushel of grapes, when a voice came from behind him. 

"What are you doing in my vineyard?" The voice demanded. The man gasped, and backed up. He knew who the woman was-- some people said she was a witch. Her name, Zelas Metallium, sent shivers down any man's spine. 

"What are you doing here, foolish man?" Zelas asked again harshly. She held a whip in her hand, and was tapping it impatiently against her other hand. 

The man swallowed nervously, and said, "My wife needs this. She is to have a child, and she said she must have some of these grapes to make wine." 

Zelas's eyebrows arched, and said, "But I need the grapes to make my wine. I get testy if I don't have my drink." 

His eyes darting around, going anywhere but Zelas's eyes, he said, "Please! I'll do anything! Give you anything! But I fear my wife may die with longing for some wine from these grapes!" 

Zelas laughed coldly. The old man felt that the witch had no feelings inside her cold, hollow heart at all. "I tell you what," she said, grinning evilly. "You may take as many grapes as you like. But when you have your child, the baby comes to me." 

The man gasped, fearing that the witch intended to sacrifice their child. But if he didn't bring the wine to his wife, she would die. He sighed, and agreed to the witch's bargain. What else could he have done? He didn't want to lose his beloved wife! 

That night, after the man had made more wine for his wife, he told her of his encounter with the witch and told her the agreement. 

His wife fainted right there. The old man feared something of that sort would happen, and had placed pillows behind her as a foresight. He shook his head sadly, and put it in his hands. What had he done? 

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**To Be Continued...**

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	2. Chapter 2

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**Not Exactly Rapunzle**

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**_Welcome back to the second part of my extremely odd dream! If it doesn't seem odd yet, keep reading... It'll get there... BTW, this chapter is very short! Kinda pointless too... ^_^ _**

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**Nine Months Later...**

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The woman finally had her child. It hadn't been ten minutes after that before Zelas ran into their little house, and snatched the child away. The old woman cried hysterically, but Zelas just walked away, carrying the baby girl away. 

Zelas named the girl Lina, and raised her as her own child. They played in the gardens and had a wonderful life. Zelas grew to love the little girl-- the first person she had ever loved. She decided that she had to keep Lina away from the world so she would not ever leave her. 

So, when Lina was five, Zelas locked her up in a tall tower in the middle of the forest. There was no door, no stairs, no ladder. The only window was at the very tallest part of the tower. 

Whenever Zelas wanted to see Lina, she would call out, "Lina! Ray Wing me up there!" Lina would listen, and cast a spell to let Zelas fly up there. Lina grew used to it, though she often wished that she could go outside once in a while. 

When Lina asked Zelas if she could go outside, Zelas became angry. "Never!" she shouted. "If you leave the tower, you will meet someone and leave me! I cannot bear that!" 

Lina had tried to convice Zelas that she would never leave, but Zelas wouldn't have it. She threatened to stop visiting if Lina asked her to go outside again. Lina didn't want Zelas to stop visiting, so she stopped asking. She didn't exactly like Zelas, but she was her only connection to anything outside the tower. 

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**To Be Continued...**

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	3. Chapter 3

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Not Exactly Rapunzle

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**_This chapter is much longer... I had to split it up a lot, cause this is the part where most of the stuff happens... Anyways, R&R peoples, and tell me what you think of my Rapunzle thingy ^_^_**

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**Ten Years Later...**

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One day, a young man came riding through the woods on his horse, and happened to hear something. He followed the sound, wondering what it was, and saw that it was a young woman with firey red hair, up in a tower. She was talking to herself, complaining about not being able to ever go outside. 

The man just sat at the edge of the trees and watched. The woman was very pretty, even if she was rather flat in the chest area. When the woman went away from the window, the young man rode around the tower, looking for a way in. There was none. 

Dismayed, the young man rode away. But he came back everyday to sit and stare at the very beautiful woman up in the tower. He felt sorry for her, being trapped up there on her own like that. 

One day, the young man came to the tower, as usual. But there was someone there, standing at the base of the tower, just below the window. This someone was a woman with long white, with bangs that covered her eyes. 

The woman called out loudly, "Lina! Ray Wing me up there!" Then a bubble appeared around her, and she was carried up to the window. About an hour later, the woman came down again in a bubble, and then walked away. 

The young man waited for a bit, and then went to the base of the tower, looking up. 

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Inside the tower, Lina was playing with a deck of cards Zelas had given her several years ago. She was just about to finish a game of solitare, when she heard the familiar call: "Lina! Ray Wing me up there!" 

Without even looking out the window, Lina cast her Ray Wing, and waited for Zelas to come in again. What had brought her back so soon? 

When Zelas came in, Lina turned to her, smiling her false smile. The smile disappeared, and was replaced with shock when she saw that it was not Zelas that was standing in her tower room. 

It was a young man with long blonde hair, and a smile that lit up his eyes. He had the look of a naive person that hadn't experienced very much in the way of real life. Lina found herself wondering if she had that look about her as well. 

The young man certainly thought she did. He thought she looked as if nothing in life at all could touch her-- she was separate from time. Her bright eyes were staring at him confusedly. 

Suddenly, Lina exploded. "What the hell are you doing in here?" she demanded. "Who are you? Why did you come up here?" 

The young man's smile didn't waver. "My name is Gourry," he said sweetly. "I came up here to talk with you. I've been watching you for several days now, and I guess I wanted to get to know you." 

"That's no excuse for barging into a girl's room uninvited!" Lina shouted. 

After several apologies and a few more shouts, they calmed down, and started talking. It seemed that they both enjoyed one very important thing: eating. They both loved it, and ate very much. 

When it started to get dark, Gourry said, "Can I come back tomorrow, Lina?" 

Lina blushed slightly, and said, "If you want to." 

Gourry smiled his innocent-faced smile, and Lina Ray Winged him back to the ground. 

Lina walked deazedly over to her bed, and lay down. Gourry was actually a sweet guy, if he was a bit dim. She had never met anyone except Zelas, so maybe everyone out there was like him. But she would never know, because L-sama kept her locked up here like a bird in a cage. 

Slowly, Lina drifted off into a restful sleep, dreaming of Gourry and the next time they would meet. She found herself looking forward to his next visit eagerly. 

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The next day, when she heard the call of "Lina! Ray Wing me up there" then she paid attention to the sound of the voice. Her hopes fell when she realized it was Zelas. She cast a Ray Wing down there, and Zelas came in through the window. 

Through the whole meeting, Lina had to work hard to keep up her false-cheerful attitude, as she always did. But this day was particularly unnerving because she wanted to see Gourry again. 

When Zelas finally left, Lina breathed a sigh of relief. A few minutes later, she heard Gourry call, "Lina! Ray Wing me up there!" 

Lina waited by the window for Gourry to get up there. As soon as he got in, she pulled him over to the chairs, and they started talking again. They talked all day, and most of the night. Lina was eager to know about things outside the tower, and she wanted to learn all about Gourry. Gourry, likewise, wanted to learn all about Lina. 

Just before Gourry left, he turned to face Lina. She smiled up at him, and would have said good-bye, but Gourry leaned forward and kissed her on her lips. 

Lina stiffened. She had never been kissed before. But then she relaxed, and found that she liked it. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him right back. 

Gourry backed away a little, slightly out of breath. He smiled his incredibly sweet smile, his eyes twinkling, and said, "See you tomorrow, Lina." 

Lina nodded, a wide grin on her face. She reluctantly brought her hands down to her sides, and Ray Winged Gourry back to the ground. She watched him ride away on his white horse. 

Walking as if in a dream, Lina wandered over to her bed, and lay down. She grinned foolishly up at the ceiling, and sighed. She wanted to see Gourry again already. He enjoyed his company-- it was better than a visit from Zelas --and she wanted him to kiss her like that again. It had made her feel like she was going to melt. 

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Gourry rode home swiftly, and flopped down on his bed, thinking. He thought himself incredibly foolish for kissing Lina when he had only met her the day before, but it had seemed so _right_ somehow. 

He couldn't wait to go back there the next day. 

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**To Be Continued...**

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	4. Chapter 4

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**Not Exactly Rapunzle**

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**_Okay! I'm baaaaaaaack! Keep reading, minna, and tell me what you think! Unfortunately, I can't take suggestions for this ficcie, cause it's already all written up... So, yeah...^_^_**

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The next morning, Lina woke up, still grinning at the memory of that kiss. When she heard, "Lina! Ray Wing me up there!" then she practically shouted with joy. She ran over to the window, and her expression fell a mile when she saw it was Zelas. 

She gloomily Ray Winged Zelas up to the tower window, and sat down in a chair. Zelas started talking to her about how things were going at the vineyard, and about a new type of wine she invented. 

Slowly, Lina found her thoughts drifting back to Gourry. She blocked out everything Zelas was saying so she could concentrate on her memory better. She relived their last meeting. When she got to the kiss, she started grinning again. She hoped Zelas would hurry up and leave so she could see Gourry again. 

"Lina!" Zelas shouted, interrupting her sweet thoughts. 

Lina turned to Zelas and said, "What?" 

She must have put more bite into that word than she thought, for Zelas frowned. "What's come over you, Lina?" Zelas asked, genuinely concerned. "First your depressed, then you start grinning like an idiot, and now you're testy." 

Turning to look at the wall, Lina said, "Nothing's wrong." A faint line of pink appeared on her cheeks. 

Zelas frowned again, and looked over at Lina curiously. "All right, then," she said uncertainly. "I'll come check on you tomorrow." She stood up and started over to the window, and looked one last time at Lina. "Lina!" she exclaimed. 

"Hm?" Lina asked, looking at Zelas. 

"Your face is red," Zelas said. "Do you have a fever?" 

The blush increased a tiny bit, and Lina said, "No. I'm fine." 

Again, Zelas frowned. "Are you sure?" 

Nodding, Lina answered, "Yes. Perfectly fine." 

Uncertainly, Zelas turned, and Lina quickly sent her down to the ground with a Ray Wing. 

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When Zelas touched down on the ground, she went into the trees, and watched Lina through the window. There was something wrong with her, for certain, but she couldn't tell what. And since Lina wouldn't tell her, then she'd have to find out for herself. 

Prepared to stand there all night if need be to make sure her beloved daughter was all right, Zelas sat down against a tree, always looking up at the window. 

Soon, her waiting paid off. Out of the trees came a young man with blonde hair, and riding a white horse. He dismounted at the base of the tower, and called, "Lina! Ray Wing me up there!" 

Before he had even finished the sentence, a spell bubble formed around him, and he was carried up to the tower. 

Glaring, Zelas held her ground, and watched the window. 

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Lina smiled, and blushed when Gourry came in through the window. They sat down again talking like usual. 

But Gourry let his wind wander. He focused on Lina's face-- her bright eyes, her firey hair, and the faint blush on her cheeks. He let himself get so lost in Lina's beauty that he forgot to listen to what she was saying. 

Before he knew what he was doing, he was trapped. He smiled a little, knowing what he was going to do. He leaned forward, and kissed Lina again. 

Lina had expected it sooner or later, and wrapped her arms around his neck again, holding him to her. Gourry stood up, and Lina giggled. She was still hanging onto his neck, and her feet were no longer touching the ground. 

As Gourry walked across the room, Lina kissed his face all over. In just a few moments, Gourry was at the window. He held her arms, and lowered her to the floor. "I have to go," he said, smiling down at her again. 

Lina nodded, and said, blushing, "Come again?" 

Gourry just smiled, and, as an answer, kissed Lina again. "Nothing could stop me," he said in his naive tone of voice. 

They said their good-byes, and Lina Ray Winged Gourry back to the ground. Gourry vaulted onto his horse, and rode off into the woods, grinning and whistling. 

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Zelas gritted her teeth in anger. She had seen the whole thing. She couldn't believe it! Lina had betrayed her! Her! The only mother that impudent little brat had ever known! 

Furious, Zelas stalked over to the base of the tower, and called, "Lina! Ray Wing me up there!" 

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**To Be Continued...**

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	5. Chapter 5

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**Not Exactly Rapunzle**

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**_Hello again! This is one of my favorite chapters in this story, because-- NEVERMIND! I can't tell you! Don't wanna spoil it, do I? Anyway, read on, peoples!^_^_**

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When Lina heard Zelas's voice, she panicked. But she obeyed, and cast a Ray Wing down for her. Zelas appeared at the window in moments, and stepped inside the tower. 

"How dare you!" Zelas shrieked. "How _dare_ you?" 

Lina tried her best to look innocent. "What?" she asked in her most childish voice. 

"You betrayed me!" Zelas screamed. She tugged at her long hair, and glared at Lina. "I tried to keep you safe from the rest of the world, and you go and betray me!! How could you? I'm your mother! The only family you have!" 

Lina wasn't one to be yelled at. She yelled right back, "I have no mother, you snot-faced, selfish, pig-headed WITCH!!" 

Zelas stormed forward, and smacked Lina with such strength that it knocked her to the floor. Fuming with anger, Zelas towered over her, and pointed down at her. "Mono Volt," she said coldly. 

Lighting wrapped up the length of Lina's body. She screamed in pain as the lightning coursed through her. Zelas's heart returned to a cold lump of ice. How had she ever been so foolish as to think she could love that stupid little girl she raised? 

When Zelas tired of Lina's screams, she dropped the spell, and pulled Lina up by her red hair. "You will pay for betraying me," she said. She didn't yell, but the ice in her voice sent a shudder down Lina's spine. Angrily, Zelas tossed Lina onto the bed with a strength Lina didn't know the woman possessed. 

All through that night, Zelas sat in a chair right by the head of Lina's bed. If Lina even moved at all, she was hit with Zelas's lightning spell again. Lina felt tears soak her pillow. She didn't care that she had betrayed Zelas. She was glad she did. And she didn't regret at all meeting Gourry. 

When dawn broke, Zelas started pacing. Lina wondered why she didn't leave. Was she going to stay there for the rest of her life? She got her answer eventually. 

Outside the tower, Lina heard Gourry's voice call, "Lina! Ray Wing me up there!" 

Zelas's face took on an evil grin, and she turned to Lina. Her eyes flashed wickedly, and said, "Bring him up here." 

Lina sat up, and said boldly, "No! You're going to hurt him, and I won't let you do that!" 

Sighing, Zelas snapped her fingers. The Mono Bolt spell ran up and down Lina again, but she didn't scream. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. Her eyes watered from the pain, but she wouldn't scream. 

Irritatedly, Zelas dropped the spell, and said, "Bring him up here, or he dies!" 

"You'll kill him anyway!" Lina shouted. "You're a cold, lifeless monster!" Zelas stepped forward furiously, and smacked Lina again, sending her crashing into the wall. She pointed at the window, and Ray Winged Gourry up there. 

As soon as Gourry stepped in through the window, Zelas reached over and grabbed him around the neck. She said, her voice like ice, "Mono Volt." 

Gourry cried out in pain as the lightning ran through him. Across the room, Lina sat up, and saw this. Her eyes watered at the fact that Gourry was being hurt. She angrily stalked across the room, and shouted, "Fireball!" 

The spell hit Zelas, throwing her to the ground. Gourry dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. Lina hurried over to him, and stood in front of him protectively. 

Zelas sat up, half in shock. "Where did you learn that spell?" she demanded. 

Flipping her hair haughtily, Lina replied, "I tought myself. I'm a lot better at magic than you thought I was." 

Zelas gritted her teeth, and her eyes flashed something wicked. "You will pay, child," she declared. With that word, a Ray Wing bubble appeared around Lina, and Zelas sent her out the window. She halted the Ray Wing just outside the window so Lina could see what she would do next. 

The white-haired witch pulled Gourry up by his hair, and then grabbed his throat again. She held him dangling out the window with a strength Lina never knew existed. 

Loudly, Zelas began to chant. "Pain beyond the bounds of earth. Sorrow beyond the depths of time. I call upon your power to grant my request. Grant me your power to punish the fool before me. Grant unto me the power of Pain!" She glared into Gourry's eyes coldly before she said the final phrase. "With the power of Pain granted to me, I blind you." These last words were spoken with such ice and such malice that Lina stared in disbelief. 

Gourry screamed in pain, and there was a flash of bright white-red light from his eyes. Zelas let og of him, and he dropped to the ground below the tower. His screaming stopped, and he didn't move. 

"Gourry!!" Lina shouted. She pounded her fists against the Ray Wing bubble, but it didn't yield. She cursed Zelas's name over and over. 

But Zelas wasn't finished yet. She locked her jaw, and glared up at Lina. With a wave of her hand, she sent the Ray Wing bubble floating away, across the trees. 

Lina cried as she was taken farther and farther away. After about an hour of swift flying, the Ray Wing bubble started to drop. It was getting out of the range of Zelas to control it anymore. 

The spell dropped Lina about three feet above the ground, and she fell to her knees, crying. She was certain that Zelas had killed Gourry, and she had no clue where she was. 

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**To Be Continued...**

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	6. Chapter 6

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**Not Exactly Rapunzle**

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**_Hiyas! Another short chapter, though not as pointless... *sniffle* Poor Gourry... *tear* *sniffle*^_^_**

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Slowly, Gourry drifted back into consciousness. His head swam and pounded like sledge hammers. 

Groaning, Gourry opened his eyes. He started, and blinked a few times to make sure his eyes were open. He lifted a hand, and waved it in front of his face. 

Not wanting to believe it, Gourry sat up, and closed his eyes. He counted to three, and opened his eyes again. His hopes fell into the ground. 

The thing was, it didn't make any difference whether his eyes were open or closed. Everything was pitch black, except for little white stars that flashed inside his eyes. He felt his sightless eyes fill up with tears. 

Then he remembered Lina. He stood up, and promtly fell over. His head made him feel incredibly dizzy, and he couldn't et his balance. He finally was able to stand up, and he called out, "Lina! Lina, where are you?" 

There was no answer. 

Gourry sadly started walking. He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't care. He had to find Lina, and he couldn't do that just sitting there. When he ran painfully into a tree, he knew he had reached the woods. He groped alond the ground, and found a stick to use to help him walk without bumping into trees. 

Using the stick to feel around, he slowly made his way through the trees, hoping, praying, he was going in the right direction. 

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**To Be Continued...**

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	7. Chapter 7

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Not Exactly Rapunzle

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**_Hey, hey... This chapter kinda goes into a lil bit of the first season, but it's changed a lil bit... k?^_^_**

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**Two Years Later...**

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Lina blew up the last of the bandits with a Fireball. She walked calmly into the middle of their camp, and started digging through their treasure chest. The bandits nowadays called her the Bandit Killer, known throughout the land as an unmerciful killer of thieves and bandits. 

As she poked around their treasury, she remembered back to why she was out here alone. Her eyes watered when she remembered Gourry. 

Zelas. 

Her hands clenched into a tight fist around a bunch of rubies she was holding. She felt one jewel crack beneath her grip, but she didn't care. 

Zelas had ruined her life. She had been locked in a tower for ten years, seperated from the rest of the world. Then Gourry happened to barge in one day, and everything changed. Zelas had killed Gourry, and sent her out into the middle of nowhere. 

Lina had to kill bandits in order to survive, and then they started calling her Bandit Killer. She no longer had to kill them to survive, but she found that she often forgot about her past and lowered her stress when she blew things up. 

For the past two years, Lina had taught herself magic, even going so far as knowing how to cast a Dragon Slave, the most powerful Black Magic attack spell out there. Everyone knew to stay clear of Lina the Bandit Killer. 

She collected her treasure, and wandered back to the town she was staying at. She went up to her room, and dropped the several heavy bags onto the floor. Then she ran down the stairs again, her hair flying out behind her, and sat down eagerly at a table. 

When Lina ordered triple portions of everything, the waitress stared. Oh, yeah. She ate a lot more, too. She had always eaten a lot, since she was little, but now she ate even more. Spellcasting took a lot out of her. But not matter how much she stuffed her face, she never got fat. 

And if anyone told her otherwise, they were charred meat. 

After her loud, long, and large meal, Lina decided to wander around. She hadn't gone just walking for quite a while, and figured that then was as good as ever. 

She hadn't gone very far when she ran into somebody. Lina didn't even look up at them, because she didn't feel like talking at the time. When the person in front of her didn't move aside for her to walk on, she got testy. 

"Hey!" she shouted, still not looking up. "Do you mind moving? I'm walking here!" 

There was a short pause. Then... 

"Lina?" the person asked. 

Lina gasped. She knew that sweet, innocent voice. Her eyes filled with tears. She was imagining it: Zelas had killed Gourry years ago. 

Again, the person asked, "Lina? Is that really you?" 

Not daring to believe it, Lina looked up at the person's face. She stared at him. "Gourry!" she cried. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She started crying into his shoulder, saying things like she thought he was dead, and that she thought she'd never see him again. 

Gourry wrapped his arms around Lina, hugging her back. He felt his eyes fill with tears of joy. He had found her! At last! 

Lina pulled back, and started kissing him. First a long kiss on his lips, then his cheeks. She smiled, and looked into his eyes, expecting to see the familiar twinkle of innocence in them. But what she saw made her gasp. 

Gourry's usually bright eyes were dull and hollow. They stared straight ahead, like they couldn't see anything in front of them. 

"Your eyes..?" Slowly, Gourry nodded. "That... That day... The spell Zelas cast... It blinded me..." 

Lina let go of Gourry, her feet back on the ground again. She looked up at him admiringly. "You lasted two years without being able to see?" she asked. "And you still managed to find me?" 

Gourry nodded, and said, "It wasn't easy. But now I can almost feel things around me instead of see them." To prove his point, he reached his hand out, and, without wavering, placed it against Lina's cheek, and wiped away some of her tears. 

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**To Be Continued...**

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	8. Chapter 8

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Not Exactly Rapunzle

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**_YAY! It's not over yet! Not until I say so! And I think there's still two chapters left, so keep reading! Enjoy!^_^_**

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**Later That Night...**

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Lina's head rested against Gourry's chest as they lay in the bed. She wore green flannel pajamas with stars all over them, and Gourry's were blue with jellyfish printed all over. 

"Lina?" Gourry asked, stroking the hair he knew was firey red. 

"Hmm?" 

Gourry asked, "Do you know where we can find Zelas?" 

Lina sat up, and stared at him. "Why do you want to know?" 

His blank eyes looked right back at her, and Gourry said, more seriously than she had ever heard him, "I want to get back at her for what she did to us. She can't just get away with that." 

Lina smiled, her eyes lighting up, and nodded. "I agree," she said. She leaned her head back against Gourry's chest, and said, "She's staying in a city called Sairaag. It's not far from here. We can be there in two days if we leave at dawn." 

Gourry nodded, and said, "Good. We go together." 

"She'll pay," Lina said coldly. "She'll learn that she should never have messed with Lina Inverse." 

"Inverse?" Gourry asked her, smiling. 

Lina nodded. "I figured I needed a better last name than Metallium. What do you think?" she asked, tracing an invisible pattern on Gourry's shirt. 

"It sounds just like you," Gourry said. 

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**To Be Continued...**

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	9. Chapter 9

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Not Exactly Rapunzle

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**_Hey, hey... This chapter kinda goes into a lil bit of the first season, but it's changed a lil bit... k?^_^_**

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**Two Days Later...**

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Lina and Gourry were just approaching Sairaag. She had found out long before that Zelas had taken up residence there, but she had never actually gone to fight her. It was almost like she was afraid, after what had happened to Gourry. But now, with Gourry at her side, she felt she could do anything. *** 

It didn't take long for word to reach Zelas that Lina Inverse was in the city. Everyone whispered her name in frightened voices, almost afraid even to speak the name. Zelas thought that exremely foolish. Lina was no one to fear. She was a disobedient child, who had been punished long ago for her impudence. 

Still, Zelas wanted to go and greet her... Properly. She grinned, showing off her pointed fangs, thinking about their encounter. 

Lina was very foolish indeed for coming to Sairaag. 

Zelas swallowed a glass of wine in one gulp, and headed out the door. She stopped, turned around, and downed half the bottle in two swallows. Satisfied, she turned and left the house. 

It was very easy to find Lina. She had but to follow the whispers and pointed fingers. *** 

Lina's gasp, and her sudden halt in walking was all Gourry needed to figure out that Zelas was here. He stepped half in front of Lina, and drew a sword he had had at his side for most of hid life. 

"Lina _Inverse_," Zelas spat, stepping closer to Lina and Gourry. 

Lina held her hands ready to cast a spell, and said, "I figured I should do away with that nasty thing you call a last name, and get something more suited to me." 

Zelas's eyes narrowed, and she glared at Lina. "Impudent brat! I will teach you some manners!" With that, she launched a Gaav Flare right at Lina, intending to finish her with one spell. 

But something like that couldn't stop Lina Inverse. She simply dodged it, and rolled to one knee. "Fireball!" she shouted. 

In the moment of shock Zelas had, the Fireball hit her. She just smiled, thinking it would be as weak as the last one Lina had tried on her. She was wrong again. 

Zelas was knocked off her feet, and flew several yards to land in the dirt. She stood up, and glared at Lina. 

Gourry took up the opportunity. He felt all of Zelas's attention focused on Lina, so he charged in with his sword. As he ran, he shouted, "Light, come forth!" He heard the hum of his light blade, and dashed over to where he knew Zelas was standing. 

With a single swipe of his sword, he felled Zelas, and hurried back over to Lina. 

Unfortunately, the cut didn't hit a critical area. Zelas was on the ground, her hand grabbing at her side. The wound was deep and long, but she would survive. 

Lina and Gourry stalked over to her, side by side. Zelas tried to stand up, but the wound was too painful. She started a Recovery spell, and hoped it would finish quickly. 

"Zelas Metallium," Lina spat, imitating Zelas. "You are a cruel, heartless witch. You messed with Lina Inverse, and now you're going to have to pay. I will show you no mercy, and you would have shown me none." 

"Bah!" Zelas scoffed. "You can't do anything to me! I always have been, and always will be, more powerful than you!" 

Lina, her eyes ice cold, said, "I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you." 

Gourry and Zelas both stared at Lina. 

"_Darkness beyond twilight. Crimson beyond blood that flows_," Lina said in a clear voice. 

When Zelas realized what she was doing, she tried to back away. But Gourry dashed in behind her, and held the tip of his sword against her back. 

"_Buried in the flow of time_," Lina continued. "_In thy great name I pledge myself to darkness_." 

Zelas looked fearfully up at Lina. 

"_Let all the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I posses_," Lina finished. She glared down at Zelas with eyes of steel. 

"Please..." Zelas begged. "Please. Show me mercy, Lina? Please? I raised you as my own child! You wouldn't be here if it weren't for me!" 

Lina nodded, and said, "That's right. I wouldn't be here." She paused to let Zelas think she was letting her go. "I would have been at a nice place, living a peaceful life." 

Zelas shrank back away from Lina, and felt the tip of the sword enter her back. She winced, and moved away from the blade. 

"Good-bye, Zelas," Gourry said from behind the white-haired witch. 

"Dragon Slave!" Lina shouted. 

The spell erupted all around them, expanding outwards for near-on a mile. When the explosion died away, only Lina and Gourry were standing there. There was no sign left of Zelas Metallium. 

Gourry blinked his eyes a few times in confusion. He waved his hand in front of his face. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't imagining anything. He pinched himself to see if he was sleeping. He wasn't. 

"Lina," he said quietly. "I can see! The spell is gone!" 

Lina ran over to him, and hugged him. "Really, Gourry?" She looked up into his eyes, which were twinkling like she remebered them. 

In reply, Gourry leaned down and kissed her full on the lips. When he backed away a tiny bit, he said, "Really, Lina." For the first time in over two years, Gourry lost himself in Lina's bright red eyes once again. 

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**To Be Continued...**

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	10. Chapter 10

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Not Exactly Rapunzle

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**_LAST CHAPTER!!!!!!! Read and Review, ya'll! Lemme know! I gotta know! Tell me whatcha think! K?^_^_**

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**Epilogue...**

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In truth, Zelas wasn't killed. She managed to Ray Wing away from the scene just in time to escape the full blast of the spell. But she had taken a great amount of damage, and she knew she would die soon. She didn't have enough strength to cast a Recovery spell to heal herself. 

She staggered through the woods, stumbling to her knees every few minutes. Finally, she fell to her knees and couldn't find the strength to stand up again. She sighed, and let herself accept the fact that Death was near. 

Suddenly, right in front of her, appeared a person. This person was shining gold, with long blonde hair blocking her eyes from view. Zelas could tell that this woman was very magically powerful-- even more so than she had ever seen. 

"Are you Death?" Zelas asked. She had always imagined Death as black, not gold, but it was all the same. 

The woman shook her head, and said, "You are dying. I can can make it so you can live forever." 

Zelas nodded. 

"If you work for me, you can live within eternity," the golden woman said. 

"Who are you?" Zelas asked. 

The woman glowing in gold grinned. "I am I," she said. 

Zelas frowned, and struggled to stay conscious. "What does that mean?" she asked. "I don't understand." 

"I am a darkness beyond blackest pitch," the golden woman said. "Deeper than the deepest night. I am the Mother of Darkness who shines like gold upon the Sea of Chaos. I am the one who has searched for ages uncounted to regain my original form. I am the one with dominion over all terrible dreams. That Dark Lord of all Dark Lords." 

Zelas knew what was coming even before she heard it. 

"That is how you humans describe me," the woman said. "I am the Lord of Nightmares." 

Zelas grinned. "I will be a mazoku, yes?" 

The Lord of Nightmares nodded. 

"Perfect," Zelas said, her fangs flashing. 

Silently, the Lord of Nightmares called a spell into her hand, and raised it into the air. "Die," she whispered. She threw the pitch black spell right at Zelas. "And be reborn as a mazoku!" The next part she shouted, over Zelas's screams, up at the stars. "LIVE, ZELAS METALLIUM. BEASTMASTER!!!" 

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**The End**

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